369: Purple Iris

Xu Qing stepped into the Jade Teapot Tower with a composed gait and an indifferent expression, his gaze sweeping over the bustling scene within, yet his heart remained unperturbed.

The bartender, sensing his extraordinary demeanor, promptly stepped forward to respectfully guide him, especially after feeling the Dao Lord Realm pressure emanating from Xu Qing, and led him to a private room on the seventh floor.

The sixth floor was the highest level accessible to ordinary guests, while the seventh floor and above were reserved for esteemed guests of the Dao Lord Realm and higher.

Xu Qing casually glanced around and ordered a large table of food and drinks, his expression calm, as if these delicacies were nothing out of the ordinary.

However, when he ordered a pot of "meng ya brew," the bartender's face instantly changed, his eyes filled with shock.

"Esteemed guest, this meng ya brew, one pot with nine cups, is worth nine billion Chaos Profound Crystals. Are you sure you want..."

The bartender asked cautiously, his voice trembling slightly.

Xu Qing smiled faintly, a hint of playfulness in his eyes: "What? Afraid I can't afford it?"

The bartender quickly shook his head, cold sweat beading on his forehead: "I wouldn't dare! Esteemed guest, please wait a moment, your food and drinks will be right out!"

After the bartender withdrew, Xu Qing lightly sipped his tea, his Dao sense enveloping the entire Jade Teapot Tower, listening to the interesting stories within.

Not long after, the door to the private room was gently pushed open, and a stunning purple-haired woman gracefully entered. Her figure was enchanting, her eyes as pure as amethyst, and her cultivation had reached the Peak Dao Lord Realm.

Such a cultivation, even in the Kase Heaven Realm, was an extremely powerful existence.

"I apologize for not welcoming you sooner, esteemed guest. Zi Yuan hopes you can forgive her oversight."

Zi Yuan bowed slightly, her voice as melodious as a clear spring, with a hint of apology in her tone.

Xu Qing looked up at her, his expression calm: "Purple Tower Master, you are too polite. This is my first time at the Jade Teapot Tower, and your establishment's food and drinks are quite good; I like them very much."

As he spoke, he casually poured a cup of meng ya brew for Zi Yuan, his movements natural, as if this priceless fine wine was merely an ordinary drink.

Seeing this, Zi Yuan's eyes flashed with surprise. Although she was the Tower Master of the Jade Teapot Tower, she rarely had the opportunity to taste such a rare delicacy as meng ya brew; the last time she drank it was ten thousand years ago.

Zi Yuan mused to herself: "This person is so generous; his background must be extraordinary. If I can befriend him, it will greatly benefit my Jade Teapot Tower."

She smiled slightly, and a purple token appeared in her hand, inscribed with the character "Meng," which was the unique script of the Meng clan.

"Esteemed guest, this is our Jade Teapot Tower's Purple Dream Token. With this token, you can enjoy a fifty percent discount on all purchases at the Jade Teapot Tower, excluding our three signature items. Furthermore, with this token, you can access the private rooms on the ninth floor."

Zi Yuan offered the token, her tone carrying a hint of probing.

Xu Qing took the token, his expression still calm: "Oh? Then I thank you, Purple Tower Master."

He did not decline and directly put away the token. He had long heard of the Jade Teapot Tower's three signature items—meng ya brew, One Flavor Nightmare, and Dream God Brew.

Especially the Dream God Brew, which could increase a Dao Lord expert's chance of comprehending the Dao by fifty percent, and even had a half-percent chance for a Dao Monarch, making it a priceless treasure.

Now, even the Purple Dream Token couldn't offer a discount, which showed how precious these three signature items were.

Xu Qing put down his wine cup and looked directly at Zi Yuan, getting straight to the point: "Purple Tower Master, to be honest, I am very fond of your meng ya brew. Coincidentally, there are many juniors in my clan who could use it as a reward. I wonder how much stock your esteemed tower has? I'll buy it all."

Zi Yuan's heart trembled upon hearing this, and she thought: "This person is indeed extraordinary! The meng ya brew is priceless, yet he wants to buy it all. Such financial power, I'm afraid even some half-step Dao Monarchs would struggle to match it."

A hint of apology appeared on her face, and she said softly: "Esteemed guest, unfortunately, most of the meng ya brew in the tower has already been purchased by the Xuanhuang Merchant Guild. The remaining stock, Zi Yuan needs to keep for other esteemed guests."

"Xuanhuang Merchant Guild?" Xu Qing raised an eyebrow slightly, a silent laugh in his heart: "What a coincidence."

Seeing his unusual expression, Zi Yuan quickly explained: "Esteemed guest, you may not know, but the Xuanhuang Merchant Guild has a profound background. The experts within the tower speculate that there might be an immortal existence backing it."

Xu Qing couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing this: "Purple Tower Master, you jest."

Zi Yuan, seeing his composed expression, felt a little relieved and continued: "If the esteemed guest truly needs meng ya brew, I can apply to the higher-ups to transfer stock. May I ask if the esteemed guest could leave a contact method so I can reach you promptly?"

Xu Qing waved his hand and said indifferently: "No need for the trouble, Purple Tower Master can just send it directly to the Xuanhuang Merchant Guild."

Zi Yuan was stunned, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes: "Esteemed guest, this is..."

Xu Qing smiled slightly and explained: "Purple Tower Master misunderstands. I am indeed a member of the Xuanhuang Merchant Guild. I've just been in seclusion for many years, and upon emerging, I heard about the effects of meng ya brew, so I came specifically to procure some for my clan. I didn't expect the Guild to have already taken action."

Upon hearing this, Zi Yuan immediately understood, and a smile appeared on her face: "So that's it! It was Zi Yuan's oversight. Since the esteemed guest has spoken, I will apply to the higher-ups immediately and have the meng ya brew delivered to Xuanhuang Square as soon as possible."

Xu Qing nodded: "Good."

An hour later, Xu Qing, escorted by Zi Yuan, walked out of the Jade Teapot Tower. As soon as he stepped out, he saw his cousin Feng San already waiting outside, and couldn't help but praise in his heart: "This Feng San really knows how to handle things."

As the beast carriage slowly moved towards Xuanhuang Square, Xu Qing leaned back in the carriage, closing his eyes to rest, but his mind was already calculating his next plans.

At the entrance of the Jade Teapot Tower, Zi Yuan watched Xu Qing leave, a deep meaning flashing in her beautiful eyes: "This person is definitely not simple!"

His appearance had already attracted the attention of various forces.

After all, those who could be personally escorted by the Tower Master of the Jade Teapot Tower were few and far between.

Xu Qing's identity immediately became the focus of everyone's speculation.

Two hours later, Xu Qing appeared in Xuanhuang Square, where he bid farewell to his cousin Feng San and walked alone towards the Guild.

His appearance did not attract anyone's attention, and he showed a satisfied expression as he looked at the thriving Guild.

At least, he hadn't heard any external criticism of the Guild in this city, indicating that even after arriving here, his clansmen were adhering to the clan rules, which was commendable.

Before long, he appeared on the central island of Moon Lake.

"Greetings, Master!"

His appearance attracted the attention of the Chong Guang guards. Seeing that it was Xu Qing, the memories etched deep in their Sea of Consciousness made them recognize his identity, and they immediately bowed.

This also alarmed the people on the island, and when they rushed over and saw Xu Qing, their expressions were filled with excitement.

"Duan Xuan (Duan Ming) greets Clan Chief!"

The two leading figures were none other than the Duan brothers from the Hall of Offerings. Now, the brothers' power had already reached the Late Stage Dao Lord Realm, which was sufficient to guard the Xuanhuang Merchant Guild.

Behind them was an Elder from the Foreign Affairs Hall, who was responsible for all matters of the current Xuanhuang Merchant Guild, and his cultivation was also at the Early Stage Dao Lord Realm.

"Where is Uncle Song?"

Xu Qing was a little surprised.

Duan Xuan quickly explained: "Replying to Clan Chief, Hall Master Xu Song is about to Breakthrough, so he returned to the clan for seclusion, and since my brother and I were idle anyway, we thought we'd help guard the place!"

Xu Qing nodded upon hearing this.

He then walked towards the main hall, and Duan Xuan and the two others quickly followed.

After a deep conversation, Xu Qing learned about all the industries of the Xuanhuang Merchant Guild from the Hall Elder.

The scale of the Xuanhuang Merchant Guild far exceeded what was rumored outside; its reach had already extended beyond the six great Heaven Realms, covering hundreds of Heaven Realms in the Behemoth Domain, though it only established branches in the royal cities of each realm.

However, even just this was enough to be shocking.

After a brief thought, Xu Qing handed three Jade Slips to Duan Xuan. These Jade Slips sealed one of his attacks. If an expert above the Dao Monarch Realm were to make a move, these Jade Slips would be enough to kill ordinary Late Stage Dao Monarch Martial Artists.

PS: I have something today, so I'm only updating one chapter for now. I'll make it up tomorrow!